MYST POST #2: Nonstop

I recently saw the film Nonstop starring Liam Neeson. I was excited to see this movie because it looked compelling: the idea of someone on a plane being able to toy with the air marshall and kill innocent people without getting caught. And Liam Neeson, of course, is going to be the one to save the day.

The confusion starts right away, with Liam's character, Bill, drinking away some sort of problem we have yet to understand, and won't until the movie is almost over. He is set up as this mysterious man who is clearly mourning something or someone, and the editing techniques follow suit. Despite all the action that was to follow, the most memorable scene to me was in the beginning when we view the passengers through Bill's eyes. There's slow motion and then the pace is picked up in a way that we are left feeling distressed, just as Bill most likely is. Also, it gives us a chance to view the passengers and notice anything strange about them in an attempt to guess who this "killer" may be.

Other than that one scene, the whole movie seems to run as if it is in one shot. This highlights the anxiety and distress Bill has while he is in this situation and trying to save this plane while he is set up to be the bad guy. We move through his thoughts just as he does and there is rarely a time to catch your breath, not only because of the suspense but also because of how the director set it up. We see the story from all angles, mostly Bill's, but we also get insight from the passengers and how they're handling the situation as well.

Although this movie was well-written, including amazing backstories, and was shot well, I couldn't help but be somewhat bored. Despite the twists at the end, it seems as if Liam Neeson movies are all blending together. Even the story-lines. His love for his daughter in this movie and the fact that he seemed to be "doing this for her" reminded me, of course, of his first notable film: Taken. Despite the writer's political message, the security, or lack of, that we have in the United States, and his choice of who the villains are, I left the film disappointed.

This movie did keep me on the edge of my seat and also made me think. However, you know how it is going to end about halfway through and the only real mystery left is who is behind this and how is Liam Neeson going to eventually take them down.

I give this movie a 3/5.